I want to build a platform in my garden - can anyone think of any material other than decking that isn't going to cost the earth?

[zog]

Also who would I ask to build it? I'd love to grow grass on it but I suspect that's not going to be a goer

Surely this is a riveting question for a Saturday night?

Maybe a better question for a Sunday?

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I used pallets to create a lovely decking area in my garden.

I was going to say pallets as well

Making decking with wooden pallets

Straw bales with Lime render?

Scaffolding planks on brick (loose laid)or tyres

what sort of platform? do you mean something other than wood, or just something other than decking? you could use marine ply as the 'floor' and cover it with anything - astroturf, make a suitable shallow bed and cover it with 'meadow' turf or carpets of sedums like you see on living roofs. or if you are rich you could use that metal flooring stuff.

enough?

Hurrah! Thanks for responding.

I was thinking maybe not wood but marine ply sounds interesting - can you really plant on top of it? And what is "metal flooring stuff"? Sounds interesting.

Ideally I'd want something that I can treat like the ground IYKWIM - put a raised bed on it, porous surface etc etc

Tricky because what about drainage - how high will you be? What is underneath?

Lego?

I probably have enough in the toy box if you are interested

lol at lego

Drainage wouldn't be a problem - it's to go over a slope. Ideally I want something that I can put a swing/trampoline on and which would be able to take a pounding by football playing children (we're talking a big platform!).

Check whether you need planning permission too. I watched something on the TV (Sarah Beaney?) that said you need planning permission for decking etc .

my dad would rig something up with scaffolding.
thats what hed do.
and hes the only person i know who does that sort fo thing.
we had a 'treehouse' without a tree as kids, made by him. was scaffolding and sheets of ply for the base i think.

i like the idea of planting a meadow on it. i think you can put turf on top of roofing felt 9if thats the stuff i mean) thereby not letting it rot the wood underneath and making it collapse eventually complete with surprised footballers.

Decking probably wouldn't work unless set in concrete - you might be looking at steel beam

Are you able to level it by moving soil?

for drainage, you just need to make sure theres a bit of a 'fall' (slope) to it, surely. not enough to feel, just enough for the water to follow gravity.

such a huge area does sound pretty structural tbh... could be looking at a fair bit of money for that aspect alone (without considering materials/finish)

Levelling not a possibility. Can you really plant stuff on top of roofing felt? Trouble is, I just don't know who to even start asking about something like this. I'm willing to pay for something that's going to work as it would make such a difference to our lives. Builder? Architect? Garden designer?

how about getting some of those giant metal cages filled with rocks (gabbions? or summat?)

You could then put a layer of turf on top?

God, just dress me up and call me a garden designer...

hmmm
garden designer perhaps more expensive as people who consider garden designers are loaded ponces, arent they?
id say talk to a couple of builders.
get some estimates.
actually, its prob worth talking to all thos people. initial consultations shouldnt cost you anything, and some of them might have ideas/relevent info you might appreciate.

Which is the high end by your house or at the far end?

By the house i.e. ground slopes down away from the house.

I do love the sound of your Dad Motherof UBERboys

Would builders/architects really do a free consultation?

oh yes, no-one should charge for coming and having a look, and then you say, depending on how serious you are about going with them... 'can you give me a rough estimate?' or that sounds like a good plan, and the rough amount sounds interesting, can you send me a full estimate pls?'
that sort fo thing.

yes, my dad is FAB. he can make/fix anything. you have to wait about 25 years for any of it to happen.... but he can do anything !

and definitely get a few different quotes.

What's at the bottom of the slope

Gambions might bring the ground level up, then you could put soil and grass on the top

Or you could build a retaining wall fill with rubble and turf on top